London City Airport Hotels Guide 2026 – Where to Stay Near LCY and ExCeL
There is no hotel inside London City Airport, but the Royal Docks around ExCeL have a dozen within a five-minute drive, and Canary Wharf and Greenwich are fifteen minutes away with far more choice. This guide groups them by distance and purpose, with the fixed transfer fare to the terminal for each.
Hotels by distance from the terminal
Transfer fares are fixed saloon prices for up to four passengers, agreed at booking. Short local runs are priced at the minimum fare.
| Area | Typical hotels | Drive to LCY | Transfer (saloon) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Docks / ExCeL (E16) | Moxy, Aloft, Novotel and ibis at ExCeL, DoubleTree Docklands Riverside, Sunborn yacht hotel | 5–10 min | from £75 |
| Canary Wharf (E14) | Marriott, Hilton, Novotel, Britannia International, Canary Riverside Plaza | 15–20 min | from £75 |
| Greenwich / North Greenwich (SE10) | InterContinental London The O2, Holiday Inn Express Greenwich, Novotel Greenwich | 15–25 min | from £75 |
| Stratford (E20) | Moxy Stratford, Premier Inn Stratford, Holiday Inn Stratford City | 20–30 min | from £75 |
| City of London and Tower Bridge | Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square, Leonardo Royal Tower Bridge, citizenM Tower of London | 25–40 min | from £135 |
Live booking-engine prices at the time of writing; the exact fare is shown by postcode before you confirm.
For an early flight
The ExCeL cluster is the practical choice: five minutes to the terminal by car, no tunnel to cross, and a pre-booked 05:15 pickup gets you to the forecourt before the first check-in opens. The DLR from Custom House or Prince Regent also runs to the airport in a few minutes, though not before about 05:30. Canary Wharf is the better base if you want restaurants and a proper hotel breakfast, and the drive is still under twenty minutes at that hour.
For ExCeL events and a late arrival
If you are flying in for an exhibition, stay at the ExCeL hotels and use the airport for both legs; a car from the terminal is ten minutes and a fixed £65. For a late arrival with an early meeting in the City, the Tower Bridge hotels are 25 minutes away with the tunnel and worth the £135 fare for the morning saved. Our London City Airport transfer page covers the terminal, and the InterContinental The O2 transfer guide the Greenwich option in detail.
Common questions
Is there a hotel at London City Airport?
How much is a taxi from a Canary Wharf hotel to London City Airport?
Which hotel is best for a 06:30 flight from City?
Can I get to a hotel near City late at night?
Do you do hotel to airport transfers for groups?
EU Entry/Exit System (EES): what travellers ask
My flight home might land late because of EES queues. What happens to my transfer?
Give your flight number when you book, so the driver can follow the actual landing time rather than the scheduled one.
Will I go through EES at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted?
No. UK airports do not run EES. When you fly to a Schengen country, you register on arrival at the European airport, and your exit is recorded when you fly home.
Do I have to register every time I travel?
No. The first crossing takes the longest, because your photo and fingerprints are taken. For three years after your last trip, later crossings are quicker. If you get a new passport, you register again.
Do I need ETIAS as well?
Not yet. ETIAS, the EU's separate online travel authorisation, has not launched, so there is nothing to apply for. The EU will announce a start date months in advance; until then, avoid websites that charge for it.
EES is the EU's digital border check for non-EU travellers, fully in use since April 2026. It is not a visa. Checked September 2026; rules can change, so see the EU Travel to Europe site before you travel.